Authorities in Illinois have charged a 79-year-old man with murder after he allegedly shot and killed his 59-year-old neighbor following an argument over a leaf blower.
Ettore Lacchei was arrested without incident at his home on Tuesday, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release. He has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the shooting death of William Martys.
Lacchei is being held at the Lake County Jail without bond pending an initial court hearing.
Following a comprehensive investigation, detectives with the sheriff’s office also revealed that Lacchei had “various perceived grievances” with his next-door neighbor.
Tuesday’s arrest stems from an April 12 incident when Martys was using a leaf blower in his yard and was approached by his neighbor. The pair then reportedly began arguing over the leaf blower before Lacchei shot his neighbor in the head.
At approximately 7:35 p.m. that day, police received a call about an unresponsive man in a driveway. Deputies were then dispatched to Martys’s home on North Black Oak Avenue in Antioch and found the victim in the driveway.
Police said Martys was transported to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, where he was pronounced dead.
Investigators said they have recovered what they alleged could be a murder weapon, which was located near Lacchei’s property line.
‘Senselessly Murdered’
“Our condolences go out to the family and friends of William Martys, who was senselessly murdered,” Lake County Sheriff John Idleburg said in a press release. “The members of the sheriff’s office are relentless when it comes to seeking justice for victims. The members of our Criminal Investigations Division have been working around the clock to bring Mr. Martys’ murderer to justice.”
Lake County Attorney Eric Rinehart commended the sheriff’s office work in a statement, while also claiming that the suspect’s “easy access” to a gun turned the dispute into a deadly crime.
“We will support the victims and seek justice in the courtrooms,” Rinehart said.
A neighbor of both men told local news station WLS that Martys and Lacchei had argued previously, and Lacchei had pulled a gun on Martys once.
“No one deserves anything like that and it’s just kind of crazy to think that someone can just break like that over just a simple argument that can be fixed just talking,” the neighbor told the network.
According to Martys’s obituary, he is survived by his children Jacquelyn, Aleczander, Anthony, and Aiden Martys, as well as his granddaughter, Molly Martys.
“Above all things, family was extremely important to him. William loved his children, adored his granddaughter, and appreciated the relationship he had with siblings, nieces, and nephews,” his obituary states.
The investigation, which is still ongoing, was conducted by the Antioch Police Department, Lake County Sheriff’s Office, and Lake County Major Crime Task Force.
